“ The pandemic was a real eye-opener for us all at Zendesk , and it really shifted the way we thought about marketing ”
That weekend , I watched Apple TV ’ s Morning Show , and was inspired to think of the B2B world in a new light in how we engaged with our customers . Zendesk Morning Show was born that week , and , with the support , dedication – and commitment of over 200 + employees across the company – we made something special during a super hard time in history . I ’ m forever grateful that the idea was brought to life and kept evolving , and we worked together as a team to make it what it became . It took an entire employee base , customers and partners , who believed in the concept to bring it to life .
Q . IN A POST-COVID WORLD , WHAT ARE YOUR PERSPECTIVES ON EVENTS – ARE VIRTUAL AND HYBRID EVENTS HERE TO STAY ?
» There is always going to be a need and value for in person interactions . However , the pandemic has changed the way we now think and approach these events . I do believe there is less need for large scale events – it ' s not great for the environment , carbon footprint , and frankly , not the best use of time with the travel commitment usually required . This is , however , where hybrid gatherings can be extremely valuable . I believe broadcasting globally , and having smaller-scaled , intentional events and interactions in local locations is key in this economic climate . It ' s the networking , discussions , and interactions that people are attracted to . And , as long as we are still able to foster environments where we can learn from our peers and engage with industry experts , then I don ’ t see the problem with reducing the size of these events ! Smaller scale could mean 20 or it could be 200 .
I ’ m sure in some instances there will always be a need for the larger events of 5000-plus , but not to the scale it was in the past . So , unless you ’ re hosting an event and you ’ re a company whose revenue model is built on events , I believe that large trade shows and traditional conferences will be seeing a big change in the coming years , as we see hybrid continue to evolve and grow .
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